Category: Publications

Our extensive library of research-related publications backs up our advocacy with solid data, and works to make that data widely available. Here you can browse publications, filter by issue area or search by keyword.

Three years into the Medicare Part D program, Medicare prescription drug plans continue to fail to meet their obligations to provide multi-lingual services to limited English proficient (LEP) Medicare beneficiaries. During the summer of 2008, the California Medicare Part D Language Access Coalition, led by the National Senior Citizens Law Center, the Greenlining Institute and the National Health Law Program, designed and conducted a survey to assess Medicare prescription drug plan call center service to LEP populations. The survey, which used the same methodology employed in an earlier survey conducted by the Coalition in 2006, focused on the 9 prescription drug plans into which California’s dual eligibles (individuals with Medicaid and Medicare) are enrolled. The survey placed 339 calls in 10 of the 13 most common languages spoken by dual eligibles in California.

For almost 15 years, the Greenlining Institute has issued its Report Card on supplier diversity relating to the nine largest utilities subject to CPUC scrutiny. Today, we submit to you Greenlining’s Supplier Diversity Report Card for the year 2003.

For over 15 years, the Greenlining Institute has issued its Annual Report Card on Supplier Diversity relating to the largest utilities subject to California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) scrutiny. This year’s Report Card focuses on the only six major regulated utilities subject to CPUC scrutiny.

Each year the Greenlining Institute submits to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) a report highlighting utility contracting to minority businesses. In 2006, the six largest public utilities contracted more than $1.5 billion to minority-owned businesses in 2006. This report card is an analysis of this contracting for minorities overall and to each individual minority group. The report also highlights contracting site areas that require further attention and action on the part of the utilities and the CPUC.

FISCAL YEAR 2007 UPDATE. The credit crunch has hit communities of color hardest, particularly lower-income communities of color. The mortgage industry as a whole originated 39.3% less loans to Latinos this fiscal year, and 34.1% less loans to African Americans. The most dramatic decrease has been among lower-income African American borrowers, who received 72.4% less loans this year than last year. These changes, combined with the disproportionate loss of wealth in communities of color due to foreclosures, are likely to widen the homeownership gap even further.

FISCAL YEAR 2007 UPDATE. The credit crunch has hit communities of color hardest, particularly lower-income communities of color. The mortgage industry as a whole originated 39.3% less loans to Latinos this fiscal year, and 34.1% less loans to African Americans. The most dramatic decrease has been among lower-income African American borrowers, who received 72.4% less loans this year than last year. These changes, combined with the disproportionate loss of wealth in communities of color due to foreclosures, are likely to widen the homeownership gap even further.

The Greenlining Institute produces an annual report that grades the major California law firms based on their Asian American, Latino and African American representation at both the partner and associate levels.

For the fourth consecutive year, Greenlining is issuing its major bank board of directors diversity study. One-third of our nation’s population and one-third of banks’ potential customers are minorities. With the exception of Citigroup, no major bank is close to reflecting the diversity of the American population.

The CPUC, by its continued focus on supplier diversity through both the regulatory process and public policy programs, has been a leader in supporting increased opportunities for California’s minority-owned businesses. Last year, under CPUC leadership and review, the six major utilities and broadband companies awarded nearly $9.7 billion in contracts in California.

2009 was a time of great crisis, to be sure. But it was also a time of renewal — and, as President Obama has said, a time to look forward, not back.

We envision Greenlining as an organization that will discover the facts and have the vision to demonstrate what is possible. We envision a courageous organization that is willing to follow its convictions despite potential consequences to our funding base. We will strive to be an organization with the ‘know how’ and tenacity to get things done. And above all, we will strive to always be collaborative, honest, and humble.

Removing Barriers, Creating Economic Opportunity

About The Greenlining Institute

Founded in 1993, The Greenlining Institute envisions a nation where communities of color thrive and race is never a barrier to economic opportunity. We advance economic opportunity for people of color through advocacy, community and coalition building, research, and leadership development. We work on a variety of major policy issues because economic opportunity doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Rather than seeing these issues as being in separate silos, Greenlining views them as interconnected threads in a web of opportunity. The Greenlining Institute is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 94-3173571.